Two Queens (Seven Heavens Book 1) (33 page)

“Speaking of time, I cannot see why we waste much time at all,” Xanthos said. “After her vow any child of Astra would be illegitimate, exiled, and accursed. We argue over nuance. Treason against the Royals or broken vow against the Unicorn—they are the same, as regards our decision. Should we exonerate the boy, would that not be violation of the treaty from twenty years past? The crowd has judged treason and will hold us blameless despite their youth. Kyriopolis watches, seeking weakness. What question remains? I am decided. Are there any others, as the Queen says, willing to speak so freely?”

There was silence. Orion felt coldness grip him. The means of his escape—his birthright—was now the very thing that would destroy him. He felt Adara's fingers brush over his hand and interlace with his. Spots appeared before his eyes but in his mind all that there was was his mother, groaning, bewailing the Curse that she had brought upon herself.

“Do you mean to include the girl in his fate?” the Judge said.

“A moment,” the Queen said, a look of horror on her face. She came before the siblings and knelt. She took their hands and kissed them. “I'm sorry. You must know I believe you. I wish I could truly be your Aunt,” her voice broke and she cried into Adara's lap.

Orion felt as he were watching himself from elsewhere. He looked at his hand that bore the Queen's flawless palm.

“Come now, you will be in more comfort elsewhere.” She bade them to another room. “Forgive me.” With her look she drove a knife through Orion's heart. There was no hope left.

The Marshall posted guards at the door. “We will call when it is time.” He nodded at them, looked at Adara and left. Adara crumpled.

Adara slowly became aware that she was laying in her brother's lap. He stroked her hair, pulling it back from her face, then touched her cheek. She sniffled.

He sighed, dropping his hand on her back. “I'm sorry, Adara. I almost wish I had not met you, that you might have escaped it.”

She sat up. She looked at him. He looked tired. Lines crossed his face that had not been there before. His eyes were dim. She hugged him. “I'm not sorry,” she whispered fiercely into his ear. He held her and their tears mixed as they gently rocked back and forth.

“You know what I wish? Besides the impossible, of course. I wish I had kidnapped you that day on Kerry. We would have fought, you angry at me for taking you, I angry because of the chain that tied us together. I imagine us seeing Kerry give birth, naming the kid, and living the life of a wanderer. You shake your head?”

“I would not have been angry.”

“Really?”

“Perhaps a little. You treated me differently than anyone else. I felt, well, safe with you.”

He stroked her hair. “Do you know why I acted the way I did?”

“What way—letting me play with Kerry or getting jealous about her liking me back?” She smiled.

“Helping you ride her. It was the first time I saw you. Simon had just caught me and Kerry had run away. She could have lived just fine on her own: she's brave and smart and would have birthed her kid without my help.”

“You wanted to make Simon like you, or get Kerry a better future than as a draught animal?”

“That too. But I couldn't have done it but for something in you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Something she saw before I did. How did you stop her? On the first day.”

“I don't know. I was tending to my things when I heard the stir and looked up to see a great hairy”—Orion grimaced and Adara changed her tone—“fleeced animal rushing in. I just stood and looked at it. Her. She slowed down and walked, almost pranced, toward me. That was all.”

“My—our father always said there was something mysterious about the kardja, especially one like Myra or Kerry who had bonded to her owner. Perhaps she knew you, somehow.”

“Perhaps. Tell me, what is this curse everyone mentions?”

“A prince propositioned mother and she refused.”

“Our mother refused a prince? Did she fear once she kissed him he'd turn into a frog?”

Orion laughed. “I do not know. I don't know if anyone knows. She swore with unbreakable oaths that she would marry none other. So, you and I are proof that she broke that oath, and therefore under the oath's curse.”

Her smile faded. “It does not seem fair.”

“You're right. But I have lived and fulfilled Mother's dying wish. I just wish you didn't have to join me in my death.”

Adara felt the touch of death struggle within her, seeking to freeze out all joy and happiness with fear, bitterness, and regret. “If life means denying the mother I dream of and the brother who loves me, then that is death. And who can understand all mysteries? Perhaps there is a place, as I hear spoken of, where there is life in death, that you and I can become brother and sister the way we should.”

“You know you remind me of Mother? Perhaps you had to get sick or she had to die, for the world could not hold two of your mold together.”

Adara felt the warmth in her grow at these words and push back the encroaching darkness. “Tell me about her,” she said, and they quite forgot who was in the next room, forgot about the City. She was companion and he was guide and together they explored the life that was Astra and Devlin.

“A decision has been reached,” the Marshall spoke. They were back in the room with circled chairs. Paris was there, too. “I now pass judgment.”

Orion stood, Adara's arm in his. He had gotten his wish—a last hour with his sister. This was it. The Queen's face, the first he looked to upon entering, was no different than he expected.

“Orion and Adara have named themselves children of Astra. Orion admitted to possession of the Ring of Artemis. As such—”

“I said it before, I'll say it again: we must prove that this is the real Ring,” Evandor said.

“Will you never stop?” the Judge burst out.

“The Marshall gave his word.”

“Very well. But this will be finished soon. No one is to leave the group, or even eat, until this is resolved. These papers, they would be at your residence?” the Marshall said.

“Yes.”

“Who will bear the Ring hence? My Queen, you are the likely choice. Do you accept?”

“No. I think Paris should bear it.”

“Paris?”

“Yes, Paris. He is the accuser. He may bear it which is lawful, with my permission, until judgment is passed.”

“With your permission this is allowed. But why?”

“Because he is Paris, of Kyriopolis. If something were to happen to the Ring then the first charge collapses and Court is adjourned. I am Queen but, should anything go wrong, I am also Aunt of the accused. I cannot take the Ring. On the other hand, if he fails in his trust, we need not fear the wrath of the King, as it will have been the fault of his own servant.”

Paris grudgingly accepted the ring. They made their way through the palace accompanied by armed guards to carriages in front of the palace.

“Send them away. None is large enough to bear all of us and, so by the Mane! I believe a long walk is needed to clear the stuffiness,” the Marshall said.

And so they walked. Orion saw a part of Avallonë he had not seen before. There were beautiful houses surrounding the palace. Menservants and maidservants, in the gardens or at gates or peering out upper windows, remarked eagerly to each other as the armed party walked down the street. Orion even heard his own name.

The houses became less grand as they walked on. When they had come so far that he could see shops in the distance and hear the ring of steel on steel they turned into one of the houses. “Welcome to the house of the tutor, now my residence. Some of you have been here before. For the rest of you, doubly welcome.”

Evandor directed them to sit in the large sitting room immediately inside the front door. The Marshall sent several of the guards through the house, some ascending the large stair to take their posts above. A few minutes later, all were settled in their chairs, and a soldier came back to tell the Marshall that all exits were watched.

“Very good. Now, as we search for the papers, we have free reign in the house. Do not proceed past any of the guards, I warn you. Work well for this must be settled tonight.”

“Not to worry, not to worry. I know just where they'll be.” Evandor darted away and was presently back with several sheaves of paper in his hands. He set them on a table. “Have a look, should be somewhere here.” He took one and started flipping through it.

The others joined him. “No, Orion, stay back. Evandor, if it is not found, do you agree to accept the Ring as it is?” the Marshall said.

“Of course, but it'll be here.”

Orion and Adara stayed away. Orion watched Evandor—he seemed almost happy. Then a frown crossed his face. He was looking at, no, it wasn't the papers in his hand that caused the frown. He looked up at the Queen and shook his head. She nodded hers in the direction of Paris. He shook his head again.

Orion wondered what was going on.

The Queen set her papers down and drew herself up to full height. She stared at Evandor.

He cowered and coughed. “Uh, I think there may be more. These, ahem, don't seem to be what I was looking for.”

The Queen relaxed her expression a little bit.

“Let me see,” he rushed off. Soon he was back with more papers.

The Queen's face hardened.

“Ah yes, I was right, still quite a bit more, in a chest. Paris, you wouldn't mind giving me a hand as we let the scholars continue?”

Paris looked up, surprised. Evandor stood tense, only the will of the Queen keeping him from breaking.

The Marshall looked up, too. “Well?”

Orion watched Paris follow Evandor. He looked back at the Queen. Her face was trained after the already-departed pair. Her fingers drummed the table.

“My Queen, may we have your help?” the Marshall asked gently.

“Yes, yes.” She bent to her work.

A few minutes later Evandor came back. “I was wrong. Nothing in that chest but jewelry.”

Orion felt Adara shudder beside him. The Queen's fingers had stopped.

“Good, we're almost done here then,” the Judge said.

Orion looked from Evandor to the Queen. Xanthos, the Judge, and the Marshall kept at their work.

“This is it! A sketch, large scale, hmm, description,” the Marshall said. All heads rose from their work. “What we knew before. Satisfied, Evandor?” He stood up, fingers on the page.

The Judge and Evandor moved to read it.

“Where's Paris?” Xanthos asked.

Twenty-six

There was instant silence. The three who had been working stood up from the table and looked around them. Orion whirled his head around.

“He was just here,” the Judge said.

“Then he left.” The Marshall eyed Evandor. “What did you do to him?”

“I? Nothing. We went and checked the chest but it opened for him and, what do you know, no papers there.”

“Everyone, stay here. Guards! Do not let anyone leave.” The Marshall took hold of Evandor and left.

Orion looked from person to person. The Judge and Xanthos sat still, blank expressions on their face. The Queen was reading over the description of the Ring. He looked at Adara. She was watching the Queen too.

He nudged her. She looked at him and in her eye there was a strange light. He tried to ask her what with the expression on his face. She gave a half smile but shook her head.

“I didn't find him.” The Marshall dropped Evandor off and swept outside. “Search the house. Bring anyone you find back to this room. Leave no room untouched. If it is locked, break the door.” The rest of the guards who had been standing outside trooped into the house.

Evandor stood up. “Let me get my keys.”

The Marshall put him back in his seat. “No. Remain here. I think you've done enough mischief.”

“What did I do?” he said.

The Marshall paced back and forth. Orion saw the Queen still reading but she had not moved any pages. It couldn't take that long to read a single page, even for him.

A guard came back with a lady in tow. “We searched the house. She is the only one we found.”

The Marshall grabbed her by the shoulders and looked closely. She went pale and opened her mouth as if to speak. “Did you see anyone?”

“No,” she breathed.

“Are you Paris?”

She puckered up her face in confusion.

“Marshall, how could you think that? She's a hand shorter and two stone lighter at least,” the Judge said.

“It's Cora, my housekeeper,” Evandor said.

The Marshall let her go. He spun around and wiped his brow. “Well, there is the accuser gone. But we already have his testimony, weakened though it is by this incident, if he did leave by choice.” He eyed Evandor.

“What about the Ring?” Xanthos asked.

The Marshall looked to the Queen. “Her Majesty—”

“Does not have it, as you recall?” she said.

“Then who does?” He realized it the moment he said it. His hands tore at his hair.

“What do we do now?” the Judge asked.

“Nothing. There is no case,” the Queen said.

The Marshall looked at the Queen. She looked back. He stared at her for a full minute. “There is something here that I do not see. If anyone would like to inform me, I would be most obliged.” His words came out like the steps of an elephant.

Orion felt like he'd been caught stealing and felt the urge to say something. The Queen didn't flinch.